I yawned as we started downstairs side by side. “I’d still be in bed if someone hadn’t called with a job.”
He paused. “Maybe I should go with you.”
The idea tempted me. But cleaning a car was a one person job, and I didn’t want to put Riley’s sainthood to the test. He’d already done so much. “I’ll be fine.”
“You sure? I don’t mind.”
“That’s sweet of you to offer. I’ll be okay, though.” I glanced at his khaki’s and button up forest green shirt. The forest green might survive, but what blood does to khakis . . . I shuddered at the thought. “Besides, it looks like you already have plans.”
“Just going to the library to check a few things out.” He paused by my van. “Want to grab a cup of coffee together tonight?”
The offer sounded fun. “I’d like that.”
He grinned. “Eight o’clock. Be there or be square.”
I smiled back, already in better spirits. I was still grinning when I started my van. Ten minutes later I pulled up to the garage. I stared at the building before getting out of the van. Grass grew out of every crevice in the cement, and graffiti painted the brick walls.
I stuffed my keys into my pocket and approached the building. The door to the office hung on only one hinge and the inside smelt musty, like it hadn’t been used in a while.
“Hello?” I called. “I’m here to clean a car.”
Silence answered.
I stepped inside, taking in the cluttered office. A mug of coffee sat on an old desk calendar. I leaned in closer. Why did the calendar say 1998?
“You must be Ms. St. Claire.”
My hand flew to my heart. A man in his forties with thinning hair and a blue mechanics uniform stood on the other side of the room. Between his protruding gut and huge lips, he had a unique look, to say the least. Slap on some white feathers and he could pass for Donald Duck’s older brother.
“I didn’t see you there,” I said.
He waddled toward the door, a hesitant smile playing on his lips. “No problem. Let me show you the car.”
The thought of walking farther into this building with Duck Man set off some kind of internal alarm and I froze. Between the fire and the bomb, I had to be careful. But the man looked harmless enough. I just wouldn’t throw him any stale bread, lest he and a flock of his friends surround me.
I glanced over and saw the man waiting at the door with a strange expression.
Great, I thought he might say quack, and he thought I was a quack. I really had to stop thinking of people as animals. Sierra had been a squirrel, this man a duck. If I wasn’t careful, I’d start thinking of Parker as a dodo bird. Oh wait, I already did.
“You okay?”
Just to be safe, I nodded toward the calendar. “I thought my business has been slow lately. Yours must be practically dead.”
He quacked up. “I just bought the place. Haven’t had much of a chance to do anything with it, including go through this office.”
The explanation made sense. Putting my shoulders back, I stepped forward and followed him into the garage. An old beat up Ford Escort came into view. Duck Man opened the driver’s side door.
“I don’t know what happened in here. Don’t want to know, to be honest. I just know it left a mess. The body’s in good condition, and with a little work I should be able to make some money off of this girl. You think you can get her cleaned up?”
I peered inside the car. Blood saturated the passenger seat, and glass embedded itself in the carpet. I should be able to get it cleaned up without much hassle. No job was too tough for Trauma Care. The post office had their snow, rain, heat, and gloom motto. I had my blood, guts, bones, and brain matter.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Great.”
He started to toddle away, when I cleared my throat. “Would you mind opening the garage doors so I can have some more light? The brighter it is, the cleaner I’ll get the car.”
“No problem.”
The doors opened, and I basked in the sunlight.
I went to my van and pulled out the supplies I needed, starting with a thick pair of gloves. My bandage made them fit snug. The doctor said I could take it off tomorrow. I couldn’t wait.
I sprayed the seats down and let them soak. A vacuum took up a lot of the glass, but much of it would have to be removed individually. I would also wipe down the console and steering wheel, anywhere that blood may have splattered.
Taking a break, I wiped the sweat from my forehead and grabbed my water. Though the liquid wasn’t cold anymore, it still tasted refreshing.
“How’s it coming?” the mechanic stuck his head in the garage.
“I should be finished in about an hour or so.”
He smiled, but didn’t show any teeth. Of course, ducks didn’t have teeth.
“I’m going to grab some dinner. If I’m not back by the time you leave, could you close the doors and lock up for me? I left your check on the desk in the office.”
“Sure thing.” I watched the heavyset man disappear. A moment later, an engine cranked, and I watched him pull away in an old boat of a car. How appropriate.
I put the water back on the old workbench and started cleaning again. The sooner I finished, the sooner I could get out of this place.
An hour later everything had been scrubbed and my equipment put away. The mechanic hadn’t arrived back from dinner yet, but it didn’t matter. I could go home and meet Riley for our coffee date. I smiled at the mere thought. I really felt like there could be something there between me and Riley. He was different from most of the guys I’d been with. I could even overlook the fact he was a lawyer, if he could overlook the fact I was a crime-scene cleaner.
After doing a final inspection of my work, I closed the garage door. The outside became a line of sunlight at the bottom of the door until the heavy metal slammed into the concrete.
Darkness filled the garage.
I’d left the light on. I knew I had. Had the mechanic flipped it off before he left for dinner?
My hand still on the handle, I tugged the door, urging it back up. It wouldn’t budge.
Panic charged down my spine.
I’d have to feel my way to the office.
I inched forward, my shoes shuffling across the cement floor. The workbench should be to my left. If I could reach it, it could guide me until I found the door.
I could also grab a wrench while I was there. Something heavy and dangerous. I’d even settle for some garlic.
If only my eyes would adjust to the darkness, if I could see where I was going. But I might as well have been standing in a deep cave. The black felt as thick as ink.
Hand outstretched, I crept forward. Any minute I should reach the bench.
I held my breath, waiting to feel it.
My hand slid across rough wood. A splinter dug into my finger. I jerked my hand back. I didn’t have time to worry about it now.
My hands roamed the area. I remembered seeing a wrench earlier, a big one.
Metal clanked across the room.
I froze.
Someone was in the room.
I darted toward the door, adrenaline like hot fire in my veins. I stumbled, but caught myself before touching the ground.
I had to get out of here.
Fingers clamped around my arm. I gasped, swinging to a stop. A scream caught in my throat as a gloved hand slapped over my mouth.
Warm breath pricked the hair on my neck. “You couldn’t stay out of it, could you?”
Goosebumps popped over my flesh. Before panic solidified, I jammed my elbow into the attacker’s gut. He doubled over, but quickly grabbed my arm again.
“You shouldn’t have done that.”
Had I heard that voice before? Think, Gabby. Think.
The man shoved a rag in my mouth. Its foul taste made me gag. Oil. Cheap cologne. Who knew what else?
“Lie on the floor.” He shoved me on the gritty concrete. His knee dug into m
y spine, pushing the air out of my lungs. Tears stung my eyes as I realized what was happening.
He jerked my arms back so hard that sharp pain split through my joints. Duct tape squealed, then ripped and clung to my wrists over and over. Then my ankles.
What was he going to do?
Keep a clear head, Gabby. Pay attention so you can give the police a description of the man. My logic meant nothing right now. I just wanted to live.
He yanked me from the ground using my arms and shoved me. I squinted at the workbench, wishing the darkness would clear. I needed to find something to protect myself. Anything.
The man pushed me again. I slammed into the trunk of the Escort. My cheek throbbed at the impact. Keys jangled. The man pulled me back and popped the trunk.
My body rebelled. I wouldn’t get in, no matter what he said.
The man thrust me forward. In one ungraceful motion, my knees buckled, and my head struck metal.
Then, everything was black again.
Chapter Nineteen
A happy song cut through the murkiness in my mind. My eyes slowly fluttered open. Darkness surrounded me.
My head throbbed. Wherever I laid vibrated, hummed.
And that happy song kept playing, over and over.
My cell phone.
I tried to reach for it, but felt tape around my wrists. Everything rushed back. Tears pushed into my eyes.
I was in the Escort. The car was running, but not moving.
I closed my eyes. The garage door was shut, probably.
Carbon monoxide would kill me in this car. The mechanic would find me in the morning, if at all. With my supplies put away, why would he think I was still here?
My van was out front. He’d check if he saw it.
But what if it wasn’t?
Despair bit into me.
The hum of the motor was interrupted by the sing song ring of the cell phone again.
I was supposed to meet Riley. Was it him calling now?
I strained against the tape, trying to reach my phone. My fingers stroked it, but I couldn’t grasp the plastic edges.
My arms went slack. I gulped in a breath. My heart raced. The phone was my only hope. I had to keep trying.
My wrists ached as the tape cut into them. Gritting my teeth against the pain, I pulled my arms forward.
The phone teased my fingers. Just one more inch. The tension of my arms made them feel like they would snap. With one last jerk, I tried for the phone.
The ringing stopped.
My body went slack as my mind raced.
Curling into a ball, I brought my knees forward until they pinched the rag in my mouth. I tugged it out then licked my lips.
There had to be another way to use my cell phone.
Think, Gabby. Think.
Using my leg, I pushed against the phone, trying to nudge it from its clip. My thigh rubbed it. I had to turn my legs, get the phone closer to my knee.
I twisted. Finally the phone snapped off and skidded against the carpet.
Now I had to figure out how to pick it up.
I turned over and arched my back. My fingers scrambled over the carpet, searching for the plastic.
There it was!
I grasped the phone and felt until I hit a button. A soft, mellow light filled the car.
Straining my neck, I looked behind me. Carefully, I dialed 911 and pressed send. Placing the phone on the floor, I turned and scooted as far down as I could, in order to speak into the phone.
I vaguely made out a “9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” “My name is Gabby St. Claire, and I’m trapped inside a car on
Granby Ave. and Eighth Street in Norfolk. Please send the police. The car’s running, and I’m stuck in a garage.”
The dispatcher said something I couldn’t make out.
“Please, I don’t know how much more time I have!” I said.
I inched my way up and turned. My fingers fumbled over the phone. I hit end and attempted to dial Riley’s number. There was no answer. Using the last of my energy, I tried Sierra.
Sierra’s loud voice echoed through the trunk.
“Sierra, it’s Gabby.”
“Gabby? Where are you? We’ve been worried sick.”
“I just called 911. I’m stuck in a garage in Norfolk. The car’s running. I don’t know how long I’ve been here.”
Riley’s voice came on the line. “Where are you?”
I gave him the address.
“We’re on our way, Gabby. You hang in, understand?”
“I’m doing my best.”
“No, I need you to tell me you’re going to hang in. Say that for me.”
Could I hang in? I had to. No other option existed. “I’m going to hang in. But, I’m getting so tired.”
“We’re in the car now. It will only take ten minutes for us to get there. You can make it ten minutes.”
I licked my lips again, wishing it didn’t hurt so much to swallow. “Okay. Ten minutes.”
I closed my eyes. Was this the same fear my brother felt when the kidnappers stuffed him into the trunk and drove away? A sob choked me. Poor Timmy. I imagined him calling out for mom, his voice trembling like it always did when he became frightened. A six-year-old should never have to go through that.
The ache in my chest intensified until tears pushed to the surface.
“I’m sorry, Timmy. It’s all my fault.”
Just what had those men done with my brother?
My eyelids felt weighed down. My mind became fuzzy, as if I’d taken a strong cold medicine.
The third time’s a charm was my last thought before I drifted into sleep.
gh
I could see Timmy gliding through the air on the huge metal swing set, pumping his legs back and forth like he wanted to reach the sky. Red and yellow leaves rained down around him from the winter-ready trees. His laughter echoed across the playground, though I was the only one there to hear it.
I started toward him. My breath came out in icy clouds as I walked. I rubbed my cold hands together, enjoying the briskness of autumn.
Mom wanted to have a family meeting, though I didn’t know why. She’d asked me to come get Timmy. As I approached, he continued flying through the air, the metal chains of the swing set creaking with each movement.
I started to yell my brother’s name, but my voice disappeared.
“Gabby!”
No, I had to get Timmy. I couldn’t listen to whomever called me. I had to get my brother and go home.
I was close enough now to see my brother’s freckles, his missing front tooth. I’d missed seeing that six-year-old face.
“Gabby! Can you hear me?”
Someone shook me. I was no longer cold. In fact, I felt sticky. My hair clung to my neck. Grime coated my face.
“Timmy,” I whispered.
“Gabby, it’s me. Riley. Can you hear me?”
I looked back at the swing, but Timmy no longer played there. An empty swing undulated.
“No!” My voice echoed through the empty playground. Everything spun around me, a blur of autumn leaves and metal fences.
Someone shook me again. Heat blanketed me. My eyes pulled open. Riley.
My heart slowed.
Then everything went black again.
Chapter Twenty
I woke up in the emergency room. A glance at the clock told me it was a few minutes past midnight. After doctors ran a series of tests on me, Detective Adams came in, and I recounted everything that happened. He grunted and nodded, while jotting notes on a pad of paper.
“Did you get a good look at the man? I know you said it was dark, but anything will help,” he said.
I shook my head. “I wish I could offer something, but I have no idea. It all happened so fast.”
“I don’t need to tell you to be careful, do I?”
The seriousness of the situation weighed heavily on my chest. “No, I figured that out all on my own.”
“You still think this has
something to do with the Cunningham case?”
“I have no doubt.”
He nodded and stared at the pad in his hands. “I’ll get working, then. Your friends have agreed not to let you out of their sight until someone is arrested for this.”
Riley and Sierra. I smiled, feeling fortunate to have friends like them. “Could you send them in?”
He clicked his pen against the paper and stuffed the items into his blazer pocket. “Of course. I’ll be in touch.”
A moment later Sierra peeked her head in the room. She tiptoed to my bed. I laughed at her antics.
“What are you doing?”
She shrugged. “I feel like I should be careful.”
“Walking like that won’t ensure safety.”
“I was just going with the moment.” Sierra’s eyes turned serious beneath her glasses. “You really gave us a good scare, Gabby.”
“Believe me, I really had a good scare. I didn’t think I was going to make it out of this one.” The last few minutes of being in the car raced through my mind. I shuddered. I could have died. I would have if my friends hadn’t gotten there when they did.
“You didn’t tell me you and Riley had a thing going,” Sierra said, mock indignation on her face.
“That’s because we don’t.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Could have fooled me.”
“What do you mean?”
“You should have seen him when you were late for your date. He came down to my apartment and couldn’t stay still. Then after you called?” She snorted. “He was hopeless after that. Almost killed us twice driving to the garage.”
I smiled, but it slowly faded. “We’re just friends. Really.”
She raised a shoulder in a half-shrug. “Whatever you say. Listen, I don’t want to cut our time short, but he’s pacing outside. The nurse said only one visitor at a time.”
She disappeared out the door, and Riley appeared. He approached my bed and looked at me with a strange emotion in his eyes. For a moment, my cheeks warmed. Was what Sierra said correct? Did Riley really have feelings for me?
His hands emerged from behind his back, and he pulled out a bouquet of daisies. “For you.”
My heart fluttered. “You didn’t need to do this. Saving my life was more than enough. I should be bringing you flowers.”
Hazardous Duty Page 12
